Two INTL Ducks heading to Cambridge for Graduate School!

The International Studies Department is excited to announce that two International Studies students, Jean Francois Guilmeus (BA Fall 2017) and Haozhe Li (current INTL senior), have been accepted into graduate programs at Cambridge!

Congratulations to you both!

I asked both students to share a bit about their experiences at UO and with International Studies, as well as their interests, goals, and next steps. Here are their responses, in their own words.

Jean Francois Guilmeus

“I have been accepted into Cambridge MPhil Development Studies Program. The area of my research will be alternative development models such as community based development.

I am originally from Haiti. I came to UO as an ICPS scholar. At UO I wanted to study a field that would broaden my view on international development issues and solutions. Being from Haiti, I knew our own development challenges. But I wanted to understand the difficulties of the rest of the world and comprehend to some extend the different development models that have been proposed so far and then analyze which one would be the best fit for Haiti and Latin America. I also came to UO with a passion for social justice and civil right issues. The INTL Department filled all these requirements and offered me the opportunity to further my knowledge in international development. So, I seized it.

I love to travel. Interestingly each INTL class allowed me to travel from one country to another through the different cases that we read about or discussed or researched. I earned my BA last December with a focus on INGO management in Latin America. The dream to see my research benefit my country and Latin America will be my motivation at Cambridge. I am challenged by Haiti economic stagnation. Haiti has been using the mainstream development models for decades and it has failed over and over. On the Asian Continent, Singapore and South Korea have come up with their own development models. They have been economically successful. Thus, I am wondering if we, in Latin America should not work on our own development approach for a more prosperous Latin America and Caribbean. I will reserve first my MPhil at Cambridge and then my doctorate degree to research alternative development models that will respond to Latin American development

issues.

Some interesting facts about me. First, I am passionate about outdoor activities and Oregon has spoiled me with its beauty. I now live in Montreal and the weather doesn’t allow lot of outdoor fun, unless you love the cold. Second, I love to travel. Traveling is one of the best schools one can attend. Whenever you go, when you leave, you carry a part of this place with you. It stays with you forever. There are two other things that go with travelling that I do: Learning new languages so I can communicate with the people I encounter through my traveling, and photography because it immortalizes and immobilizes time.

I am so excited that Li, a very good friend, is going to Cambridge as well. The Ducks are coming Cambridge… Be Ready. I am very grateful to the INTL professors and staff. Their relentless support has made it possible for me to attend Cambridge, and I believe that Li would say the same in his case. So, go INTL Department! Go Ducks!”

Haozhe Li

“MPhil in Education (Globalisation and International Development) is the program I will attend. After the one-year Master, I will have the option to continue with the Ph.D. in Education if my Master Thesis meets the requirement, which I intend to do. I am currently studying International Studies with a professional concentration in Cross-Cultural Communication and Education. I was proudly raised in Yunnan, China and thrived here at the UO with the support from the amazing faculty and staff, as well as fellow international students. In four years at the U of O, I tried to give back to the community by being involved in the International Business Association (IBA), Career Center, and Lundquist College of Business Career Services and more. In all of these jobs, internships, and student organization works, my goal was to support more and more international students on campus. As many of International Studies majors who have studied abroad know the difficulties and hardships an international have to face in another culture, education system, and country. Currently, I am working on my International Studies Honors Thesis on the topic of UO Career Services and Chinese International Students with Professor Dennis Galvan, where I am trying to understand the relationship, cultural background, and the needs of this marginalized group by using the quantitative research method, in order to make suggestions to the Career Center and US Higher Education to more strategically serve international students. I am also part of the ICSP – International Cultural Service Program – which is a scholarship program for international students who get tuition remission, and in return, the student goes out to Eugene and Springfield community to give talks, presentations, and performances about their home culture. I am truly grateful to the UO and specifically the faculty at the International Studies department, the staff at ISSS-International Student and Scholar Services, and the career professionals at the Career Center who have supported me in my college career.

I plan to travel to the East Coast of the US over spring break to see as much as I can before I leave the US after graduation. I am also extremely happy that my mother and perhaps other family members will come to my graduation in June to see the beautiful U of O campus and amazing Oregon for the first time. I will have three months in wonderful Yunnan before going on another challenging part of my life in Cambridge, England. I know it will be good because I always enjoy having a cup of tea!

Congratulations to Jean Francois, too! I’m extremely happy that both of us are going to Cambridge and am thankful to the INTL department.